New Spider-Man Animated Series Star Reveals Why Tom Holland Wasn’t His Main Inspiration

Hudson Thames, the voice behind Marvel Studios’ latest animated web-slinger in the Disney+ series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, has revealed he deliberately chose not to base his performance on Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man actor Tom Holland’s beloved portrayal. In an exclusive interview with ComicBook, Thames discussed his unique approach to voicing Peter Parker in the animated series, which has premiered with two episodes on Disney+ this week. The actor, who previously voiced Spider-Man in the What If…? episode “What If… Zombies?!”, also explained how the show’s departure from MCU continuity allowed him to create a fresh interpretation of the iconic hero. As Thames told us, his goal was to offer MCU fans a new version of the teenage hero instead of rehashing ideas already explored in the Sacred Timeline.

“Well, I think for me as an actor, it went from kind of deciding if I’m going to try and replicate this other thing that a lot of people are really familiar with, or if I’m going to kind of start from scratch,” Thames shared in our exclusive interview. “I had a conversation kind of with Marvel about that. But the most inspiration came from me. At first, I was like, okay, I’m going to go watch some, like the game tapes, the old Spider-Mans, and No Way Home. All of which I had already seen, but then I was like, you know what, I think I need to remember what it was like to be in high school and for everything to have this much stakes and mean the world and be so dramatic. Diving into like my youth and how that felt was kind of like the most helpful resource.”

[RELATED: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Review: A Fresh Addition to Peter Parker’s Legacy]

The decision to forge his own path with the character proved liberating for Thames, particularly after understanding that the series would exist in its own timeline rather than serving as a direct prequel to the MCU Spider-Man’s debut. “Well, just kind of understanding what this was and that it is its own thing felt like a bit of a sigh of relief because I was kind of in his place of like, I don’t want to mess up what this guy’s already started,” Thames explained, referring to the pressure of following Holland’s popular portrayal. This creative freedom allowed him to focus on capturing the universal experience of being a teenager rather than trying to match an existing performance.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Puts a Fresh Spin on Marvel’s Iconic Hero

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man represents Marvel Studios’ latest venture into animation following X-Men ’97. It marks a bold new direction for the Spider-Man franchise by exploring what happens when Norman Osborn (Colman Domingo), rather than Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), becomes Peter Parker’s mentor in an alternate timeline. Without the constraints of the franchise’s main timeline, the animated series can use diverse characters to tell new stories instead of worrying about canon.

Thames’ commitment to finding his own voice for Peter Parker while maintaining “the heart of Spider-Man that we know and love” demonstrates how the character can evolve while staying true to its core themes. His interpretation promises to bring something new to the role while honoring what makes Spider-Man resonate with audiences of all ages. With Marvel Studios already renewing the series through Season 3, it’s clear they’re confident in this fresh vision for the web-slinger’s animated adventures. Thames’ authentic, youth-focused interpretation of Peter Parker appears to be a crucial part of that success.

The first two episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are currently available on Disney+. New episodes drop every Wednesday.